What are some factors which make the liver highly susceptible to traumatic injury?
Anterior location in abdomen; soft and fragile parenchyma.
- Extensive oblique laceration (with capsular extension) is seen extending through both lobes (segments 4B and 5) of the liver. There is no definite active contrast extravasation. No definite portal vein injury is seen. The IVC and hepatic veins are patent and intact.
- Large amounts of hyperattenuating fluid (presumably blood) is seen surrounding liver and extending down bilateral paracolic gutters and into the pelvis. Markedly distended bladder. The bladder, however, appears intact.